Stash

I am a knitter.

For those of you who knit, this is all the explaining I need to do. For those who don't knit, there is a whole culture associated with knitting that you may or may not be familiar with. Cue the secret knitting terms (really, they're not that secret):

UFO - unfinished object
FO - finished object
Frogged - object that has been ripped out (rip-it, rip-it... get it?)

and, my all time favorite?

Stash is how knitters lovingly refer to their collection of yarn. I believe it's used commonly in other crafts as well (ie stash of fabric). Dictionary.com defines the word stash (noun) as
- something put away or hidden: a stash of gold coins buried in the garden.
- a place in which something is stored secretly; hiding place; cache.
- (slang) a supply of hidden drugs.

Sound familiar my knitterly friends out there? Secret, hidden, drugs? Heheheh... seems to describe STASH to a T! Sweet Georgia, MadTosh, Sweatermaker, Indigo Moon, pretty much any hand-dyed indie yarn I could die for! Cascade, Berroco, Drops, commercial yarns that I looooove to use! I always say to myself, "yarn never goes bad," especially if you keep it in ziplock bags like I do (a residual habit from when we moved). But sooner or later, as the STASH builds up and inevitably outgrows your storage, one starts to wonder if maybe things have gotten a little out of hand.

Like many of my knitting friends, I have accumulated quite the stash, and it's always tempting to buy more, especially when you have visions of new projects dancing in your head and your LYS is having a sale. But, with all the wonderful yarn in my STASH, buying more can leave you feeling a little guilty and I've come to wonder if I might be better off simply buying yarn ONLY when I need it (and by "need" I mean actually need... like I'm about to start a project right then and there, because let's be honest here, "need" can be a slightly subjective term).

So, here is the challenge I am giving myself, call it a resolution if you will. My aim this year is knit primarily from my STASH, and to not buy ANY yarn (I cannot believe I'm saying this) unless it is absolutely necessary for a project that I'm going to start right then and there. I have some really GREAT yarn in my STASH that keeps being put aside for the newest flame. To help me out, I have given myself the goal of pairing the great yarn I have with the equally wonderful patterns I've been hoarding. And, because I think goals should be measurable (I think this one is), and should have a time frame, I am giving myself until the end of January to pair these fibres with their pattern destinies!

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

Oliebollen!

It is Dutch tradition to ring in the new year with oliebollen, what I can only describe as homemade donut holes. My dad has often made oliebollen, buying the package at the Dutch Store and setting up a make-shift deep fryer (wok) in the carport. Not a bad place to get it done considering the resultant smell of oil. It's not a small job as the oliebollen have to be watched, turned and taken out before they get too brown. The result is delicious though, and takes me back to my childhood with every powdered sugared bite! I think it's a bit hilarious and fitting that we ring in the new year with so many calories!


Like many firsts, this New Year's Eve was the first with our little boy Z. He's just a baby, only 4 months old or so, and definitely not aware of the occasion. I "partied it up" this year at my parents place helping my mom in another long standing tradition... completing a crazy hard puzzle! To tell you the truth, it was the perfect New Year's Eve: hanging out with family all cozy, eating a few oliebollen, and making myself practically cross-eyed trying to figure out what piece went where. I am very much looking forward to this New Year and all it's continued experiences with my little boy. It seems like every week he's learned a new skill. My hubby and I (and our families) get a lot of joy from watching him and his little personality develop. I'm also really excited for all the projects I have planned for this year.

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! (Happy New Year!)

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.

A Year to Expand

Today is December 31, 2011. I love this time of year, the week between Christmas and the new year. Christmas with all its busy-ness is done, and there’s a certain peace in reflecting on the old year and waiting for the new one to begin. It is in the spirit of this reflection that I’ve decided to start this new blog. As my profile description suggests, I’m currently off work on maternity leave with the birth of my first child, a little boy Z. I really feel like this is the first time, in a long time, that I’ve had time to pause. I hope to share here the thoughts and workings of my interests: my family, my career, and my crafting. And hopefully create a dialogue with my friends and anyone else who may come along and pay my little blog a visit. So, here goes!

I must admit, one of my favorite things to do this time of year is transferring over all the birthdays and special events from the old calendar to the new one. I take calendar selecting very seriously. This shouldn’t be surprising as I take great care in selecting many things: my morning tea cup (very important), my fork (don’t know why this matters to me), and of course, my outfit (including my undies… they’re important too!), just to name a few. A calendar is something I look to all year long, to tell me the day, where we are in the month, what appointments or fun events are coming up. I like the picture of the month to be peaceful yet inspiring. Let’s just say it’s a tall-order to find a calendar that I think is just right! This year I picked the Secret Garden Calendar published by Workman. And to top it all off, I received some lovely fine-tipped coloured pens from my MIL to fill in all the important dates. Heaven!

I know I have many a friend who enjoys good stationery (ahem Melissa! ahem). Maybe it’s the teacher in me that enjoys a really great pen and a plethora of sticky notes. I can seriously never have enough pens or sticky notes (especially teaching high school where there is always a student coming to class without a pen/pencil). But, I digress! Suffice to say I am very happy with my new calendar, and I think I’ll be equally happy with my new daytimer – also something I’m quite particular about. I usually go with a Moleskine, but this year I selected a Leuchtturm1917 weekly planner with a cornflower blue cover.

How do you like to get ready for the New Year?

This article was originally posted on http://ayeartoexpand.blogspot.com/ Any reproduction on any other site is prohibited and a violation of copyright laws.